Huguenots.
Harper’s Encyclopedia of Unite States History, Ben Lossing, Ed. (1902)
The name of Huguenot was first given to the Protestants of France who
favored the Reformation, but afterwards it was confined to the
Calvinists, or followers of John Calvin, who was the morning-star of the
Reformation in that country. Under his teaching the number of
Protestants in Francerapidly increased from 1528 to 1559, when the
great synod held in May adopted Calvin's ideas of church government
and discipline, as well as doctrine, in an embodied confession of faith.
The Huguenots were then so strong that they confidently expected to be
the dominant party in the state in time. They included some of the royal
family and many of the nobility. Among the latter was Gaspard
de Coligni, admiral of France, a man respected by both parties, a brave
and patriotic soldier and sailor, and for a while the favorite of the queen
mother and regent ofFrance, Catharine dea Medici. In 1555 he formed a
project of a settlement for the persecutedHuguenots in America; and in
that year Henry II. furnished two ships, commanded by the Chevalier de
Villagagnon, who, with a small Protestant colony,
sailed from Havre-de-Grace in May, 1555, and
reached the bay of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in
September. Coligni provided ministers for his
colony, and in a synod that year, held at Geneva, of
which Calvin was president, the church determined
to send two ministers to Brazil. The enterprise was
The Huguenots——
a failure.
Landing
of JohnRibault (from an
old print).
On the death of Henry, Queen Catharine became
regent of the kingdom during the minority of her son Charles. She cared
nothing for religion, but had espoused the cause of the Protestants
because the leader of the Roman Catholics was the Duke of Guise, a
descendant of Charlemagne, and a claimant of a right to
the French throne. The Protestants were still suffering greatly from
persecution, and late in 1561 Coligni sought permission from Catharine
to provide a refuge for them in the wilds of America. She readily granted
all he desired, and early in 1562 he sent John Ribault, an expert mariner
of Dieppe, with two caravels (small two-masted ships without whole
decks), with sailors and soldiers, and a few gentlemen of fortune, who
were prompted by a love of adventure and the prospect of gain to seek
a place wherein to plant a colony. They arrived off the coast
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of Anastasia Island (it is supposed), below the site of St. Augustine, at
the close of April. Sailing along the “sweet-smelling coast” of Florida,
northward, the two vessels entered a river which was named Mary, and
were kindly received by the natives when they landed.
The Frenchmen were delighted with everything they beheld—the
climate; the forest, redolent with the perfume of the magnolia; birds with
gorgeous plumage and sweetest notes; and “people of the finest forms
and kindest natures.” In the presence of half-naked, wondering semiworshippers, the Christians knelt in the shadows of a flowerladen
magnolia-tree, and offered thanksgivings to God for their safe voyage.
At twilight they returned to their ships; and the next morning conveyed a
stone column, on which were carved the arms of France, planted it on a
flowery knoll, and in the usual manner took possession of the country in
the name of the boy-king Charles IX., son of Catharine.
A few days later they sailed northward, entered a broad sound which
they named Port Royal, on the coast of South [450] Carolina, explored
the Coosaand the Combahee, in the land where D'Allyon met a
deserved fate, and on Port Royal Island, near the site of Beaufort, made
choice of a spot for a colony. The Indians were kind, and so were the
Frenchmen, and there was mutual friendship. Ribault addressed his
company on the glory to be obtained and the advantage to the
persecuted Huguenots by planting there the seed of empire, and asked,
“Who will undertake the work?” Nearly all were willing. A colony of thirty
persons was organized by the choice of Albert Pierria for
governor. Ribault built a fort, and named it Carolina, in honor of
his King, the remains of which were yet visible in 1866. After giving the
colonists good advice, Ribault departed for Europe with the rest of the
company. Coligniwas delighted with his report, but was unable to do
anything for his colony then, for civil war was raging between the
Huguenots and Roman Catholics. When it subsided the admiral sent
three vessels—the Elizabeth of Honfleur, the Petite Britain, and
the Falcon—under the command of Rene —Laudonniere, who was with
the former expedition, to the aid and reinforcement of the colony. He
was accompanied by Jacob Lemoyne, an artist and geographer; two
skilful pilots (the brothers Vasseur) of Dieppe; and many young men of
family and fortune, as well as mechanics and laborers.
Laudonniere left Havre-de-Grace on April 22, 1564, reached the coast
of Florida in two months, and, instead of going to Port Royal, he
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proceeded to plant a colony on the banks of the St. John. He had
evidently heard of the fate of the first colony before leaving France. That
colony, expecting supplies from home, had not planted, and
when Ribault did not return they were menaced with starvation. The
friendly Indians supplied them with corn, but it was consumed by fire.
Dissensions arose among them, a mutiny broke out, and their governor
was murdered. The Indians became distrustful of the Frenchmen and
withheld supplies, and the latter determined to desert Port Royal.
Constructing a frail brigantine, they departed for home, with scanty
supplies. Tempest-tossed on the ocean, their food was exhausted, and
their vessel floated, a mere wreck, on the waters. One after another
died and fell into the sea, and the survivors were about to eat the last
victim when a green shore greeted their eyes, and a small vessel saved
them from death. It is believed they were on the shores of England, for it
is known that some of these French adventurers were taken before
Queen Elizabeth, and gave her the first information concerning that
beautiful middle region of America which Walter Raleigh (q. v.)
afterwards tried to colonize.
Laudonniere anchored his ship, landed whereRibault had set up the
arms of France, and erected a fort on the south bank of the river, which
he namedCarolina. Rumors came of rich mines in the interior, and a
violent gold-fever raged. Disappointment cured the fever, but idleness
and improvidence were the rule in the colony. There were too many
“gentlemen” who would not soil their hands with labor. At length there
was a mutiny, and some of the soldiers and sailors seized two of the
vessels, sailed for the West Indies, and turned pirates. The rich soil was
neglected, starvation was threatened, andLaudonniere determined to
return to France.
From Sir John Hawkins (see Drake, Sir Francis), who sailed into the St.
John, he bought a ship, and was about to embark for Europe with the
whole company, when Ribault appeared with a squadron of seven
ships, with supplies, and a fresh colony of men, women, and children.
He arrived near the close of August, 1565. A few days
afterwards PedroMenendez, a Spanish officer, appeared off the mouth
of the St. John with five ships, who toldLaudonniere that he was sent by
his master, Philip, of Spain, to hang and destroy all Protestants whom
he should find on land or sea; that he should execute his orders to the
letter, and that if any Roman Catholics were among the Huguenots they
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should be well treated. The captains of the French vessels cut their
cables and put to sea, chased by the Spaniards, who could not overtake
them, and returned to the coast farther south. The Frenchmenreturned
to the St. John, where Indians brought the news that the Spaniards had
landed, and were building fortifications. [451]
Ribault, who was in chief command, believing the Spaniards meant to
march overland and attack FortCarolina, with three ships manned by
sailors and soldiers went to sea to drive their enemies from the coast.
Meanwhile Menendez had sent a galleon toCuba for a reinforcement of
Spanish troops. The spot fortified by Menendez was the site of St.
Augustine, Fla. During Ribault's absence theSpanish marched over the
country, captured FortCarolina, butchered a greater portion of the
Huguenots there, and hanged some of them upon trees, with the
inscription over them, “Not as Frenchmen, but as Lutherans.” The
number of Huguenots murdered there was 142. Ribault's vessels
meanwhile had been wrecked below St. Augustine, and while making
his way towards FortCarolina, with about 300 men, they were caught by
the Spaniards and massacred. Laudonniere and a few others escaped
from the St. John, and so ended the Huguenot colony.
A fiery Frenchman, Chevalier Dominic de Gourges, a Roman Catholic,
determined to avenge this outrage. He sold his property to obtain
money to fit out an expedition to Florida. He kept his destination a
secret, even from his followers. He arrived in Florida in the spring of
1568, and was joined by the natives in an attack upon two forts on
the St. John occupied by the Spaniards below FortCarolina. The strong
places were captured, and the whole of the Spaniards were
slaughtered, excepting a few whom De Gourges hanged upon trees,
under the words, “Not as Spaniards and mariners, but as traitors,
robbers, and murderers.” Menendez firmly planted
a colony at St. Augustine. In 1598 Henry IV.,
of France, issued an edict at Nantes (see Edict of
Nantes) that secured full toleration, civil and
religious, for the Huguenots, and there was
comparative rest for the Protestants until the death
of Cardinal Mazarin, in 1661. Then the Huguenots
Indians
decoratingRibault's
began to be persecuted, and in 1685 Louis XIV.
pillar (from an old
revoked the Edict. The fires of intolerance were
print).
kindled, and burned so furiously that at least
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500,000 Protestants took refuge in foreign lands. In 1705 there was not
a single organized congregation of Huguenots in all France. Many came
toAmerica—some to South Carolina, some to New York, and a few
to Massachusetts, Rhode Island, andVirginia. They formed excellent
social elements wherever they settled, and many leading patriots in
the Revolutionary War were descended from them. Three of the
presidents of the Continental Congress—Henry Laurens, John Jay,
and EliasBoudinot—were of Huguenot parentage.
Harper and Brothers Publishers. . New York. 1902.
Tufts University provided support for entering this text.
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